


Casual Friday

by Shoulder_Devil



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Crack, Denim, F/M, Gen, Pure Crack, Suits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2019-03-30 00:28:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13938711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shoulder_Devil/pseuds/Shoulder_Devil
Summary: Ever since that damned memo went out Tim and Melanie had been thick as thieves. It was unsettling, the two of them huddled in hushed whispers and barely restrained giggles. The whole situation prickled against the feeling of paranoia he had grown accustomed to but was so desperately trying to set aside.I suppose it is nice to see Tim doing something other than mope, scowl, or both. But of all things to get excited over… Casual Friday?





	Casual Friday

Ever since that damned memo went out Tim and Melanie had been thick as thieves. It was unsettling, the two of them huddled in hushed whispers and barely restrained giggles. The whole situation prickled against the feeling of paranoia he had grown accustomed to but was so desperately trying to set aside.

_I suppose it is nice to see Tim doing something other than mope, scowl, or both. But of all things to get excited over… Casual Friday?_

Jon shrugged and did his best to put it out of his mind.

\--

Martin pushed open the doors to the Magnus Institute and nearly smacked himself in the face as he realized his mistake. He saw a couple of researchers heading up the stairs wearing jeans and and graphic t-shirts.

_Third Friday of the month, that’s today! I was looking forward to today and I completely forgot._

He mentally chided himself as he descended the stairs to the Archives. There was a t-shirt displaying the various arachnids native to London and the surrounding areas he was hoping to wear in today. He considered setting a notification in his phone so he wouldn’t forget next time.

There was really nothing stopping Martin from wearing the shirt any day he likes. Not many people come down to the Archives and Jon has never been strict on enforcing the Institute dress code. That wasn’t the point though. He mentally crossed his fingers that today wouldn’t be a one off deal. The memo said that it was a trial basis, hopefully it would extend beyond just today.

It turned out Martin would be able to participate after all, just spider free. As he was tidying in one of the storerooms he came across a cache of his belongings left over from his stay in the Archives. There was a pile of clothes along with an extinguisher and his missing pocket knife. Among the clothes he found set of pajamas and a dressing gown. Shrugging, Martin changed into the discovered sleepwear.

He emerged back into the Archives just in time to see Tim and Melanie descending the stairs, arms linked as if they were walking a red carpet. They were certainly dressed for it, the two of them looked like they had stepped off of a magazine cover into the Archives.

Melanie was sporting a slim cut women’s suit in black. The white button down shirt she had accented with studded suspenders and a ladies bow tie. She had done her hair and makeup in a style Martin recognized as something akin to rockabilly. It must have taken quite a while to do, Martin didn't want to know how early she had gotten up to start.

And then there was Tim who was wearing a three piece suit with black button down and matching tie. The suit had more of a classic cut with wider trouser legs. Tim had lost weight over the last several months, most of them had, and though the tailored suit hung a bit loose he still cut a rather dashing figure. Martin was suddenly embarrassed by his shabby appearance compared to them.

As they approached it became apparent that Melanie wasn’t the only one who had put the effort into makeup for the day’s look. Tim looked flawless, maybe even contoured. His brows were impeccably groomed and the way he wore eyeliner made Martin wish he would do it more often.

They spotted his staring and burst into peals of laughter. It was the most vibrant Martin had seen Tim in ages.

“T-t-tim?” Martin asked before looking over to Melanie. “Melanie? I-I, uh, _what_?”

“Martin, my good man!” Tim said with a wave, putting on a bit of a posh accent and sending Melanie into a fresh wave of giggles. “How are you this splendid morning!”

Martin was suddenly aware that his mouth was hanging open. “Um? I don’t… You look--” Martin’s face shifted from confused to impressed and back again more than a few times as he struggled for words. “Good,” he finally settled on, “you look really… good.”

“Why thank you. You’ll find that I do clean up rather nice when the mood strikes.” Tim offered a half bow to Melanie, who returned it, a nod to Martin before peeling off to head to his desk.

Helplessly, Martin turned to Melanie, a flood of questions in him but none able to find words and escape. Melanie gave him a neutral expression and let him struggle for a time before smiling. “Casual Friday.” she said by way of explanation.

“Casual?” Martin gestured to Melanie’s ensemble.

“Yeah, well, call it a bit of civil disobedience. Besides, I don’t get an excuse to really do this much.” She shrugged.

“Well you look fantastic.”

“I know.” Melanie curtsied just a bit. “But Tim though,” she bit her lower lip as she shot a look in his direction.

“Yeah.” Martin sighed appreciatively before sputtering to recover himself. “Is he wearing makeup?”

“The man’s eyebrow game is on point. I’m going to have to get him to teach me.”

“You could always ask Basira.”

“Ooh! I should do that! Where is she anyway?”

Martin cast a look around the Archives. “I didn’t see her when I got in but I’ve been organizing the store room for a while. I usually don’t see her until I nearly, or actually, trip over her. She could be anywhere.”

“I’m over here.” Basira’s voice came from a corner of the room. Looking over, Martin saw her wrapped in a snuggie, nested in a pile of pillows. A stack of books sat to one side.

“Oh hi, Basira.” Melanie called over. “You have great brows by the way, if I’ve never told you.”

“Thanks, I can show you sometime if you like. It doesn’t take very long once you get the hang of it.” Basira adjusted herself in her book nest and went back to reading.

“That’d be great!” Melanie turned to Martin. “Do you want in on this?”

“On what? Oh! No, that’s okay. I barely even comb my hair, I doubt I would ever put in the effort on my eyebrows.”

“I can tell.”

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean!?”

\--

Entering his office, Jon saw a gift bag sitting on his desk. Tossing his messenger bag in the chair, he pulled the note off of the bag that read, “It looked like yours has seen better days” typed, with no signature. He pulled out several layers of tissue paper to reveal a new “What the Ghost?” shirt, complete with a headphone wearing cartoon version of the Admiral. Beneath that was a pair of “Ghost Hunt UK” sweatpants.

“What?” Jon stood, confused over the gift for several moments before shaking his head and refolding the clothing. “No, I don’t think so.”

\--

“Nice try, Tim!” Jon’s voice rang across the Archives, startling everyone at their desks. Even Basira looked up from her book.

“What was that about?” Melanie asked.

Tim smirked, “I have no idea, but I’m sure we’ll find out.”

Putting his head on his desk, Martin tried and failed to bottle up the nervous laughter that spilled from him. “I don’t even know what is going on here anymore.”

“That implies that at one point you _did_ know.” Tim observed, delicately placing a pen on his perfect lips.

Martin sighed and continued to laugh helplessly.

\--

“Have you seen what Elias is wearing today?”

Melanie was talking to Tim, sitting perched on the edge of his desk. She leaned in for a conspiratorial whisper but made no effort to hide what she was saying.

“No, why? I didn’t think he would be participating in today’s shenanigans.”

“Oh, is he! I won’t ruin it, you should see for yourself. He’s in the canteen now.”

“Well I _have_ been meaning to make a pass through to show off.” Tim looked over at the openly eavesdropping Martin. “Care to join us Martin?”

“S-shure, why not.” Martin agreed, hesitantly.

“Basira, you’re welcome to join too.” Tim called out, directing the question to wherever Basira may have holed up at the moment.

Her voice emerged from somewhere behind a row of shelves. “Nah, I’m fine here. You go ahead.”

“Your loss.” Tim shrugged and offered an arm to Melanie and the other to Martin.

\--

Jon was pretty sure this whole ‘Casual Friday’ business was a jab directed at him. It couldn’t have been a coincidence that he had returned to the Institute, looking a mess, on a Friday. The third Friday of the month to be exact. He knew Elias could be petty, but this?

Well, fine. Point made. It wasn’t like it was his fault he had come in wearing what he had that day. It’s not like he had a chance to pack before going on the run after being framed for murder.

Judging from the people in the canteen, the Institute as a whole weren’t in on whatever joke Elias was playing on Jon. Many of the staff had been giving him a wider berth than before and that suited him just fine. Looking around, there seemed to be about two thirds participation in the day’s festivities. Jon, in his blue checked button down, maroon sweater vest, and charcoal grey slacks was in the minority.

Something caught his eye and Jon did a double take. No, that couldn’t be. Elias-- he would never…

Elias Bouchard, head of the Magnus Institute and multiple murder was wearing _denim_? He looked comfortable enough in his well fitting, if tattered jeans and loose concert t-shirt. By the way he carried himself you would think he was wearing one of his impeccable suits rather than the uniform of a rebellious teenager.

Jon’s brain had trouble with the cognitive dissonance Elias projected. He was transfixed, unable to look away. He should have done though. Not paying attention where he was walking, he barked his shin against a table, spilling his coffee and lunch all down himself.

“Goddammit!”

Jon made a half hearted attempt at brushing off clothes. Unfortunately, he was now wearing the soup had been planning having for lunch. It was too late to do much as the liquid soaked through his clothes. He swore he saw the faint hint of a smile on Elias’s face as he left the canteen, heading up to his office.  

\--

From their vantage point in the far corner Martin, Melanie, and Tim had a full view of the show as it unfolded. Elias in denim was _weird,_ j ust _wrong._ It made Martin’s skin crawl more than when he had first seen Prentiss. Seeing him dressed down and casual in appearance but not demeanor made him seem somehow _more_ dangerous than before.

Melanie and Tim were whispering furiously back and forth about his ‘look’. Tim recognized the band on Elias’s shirt. Apparently they had something of a following among ‘casual narcotic users’ as Tim had put it.

A crash pulled Martin’s attention from Elias to the opposite end of the canteen. Jon was standing by a table, covered in coffee and a thick tomato based soup. He scrambled to gather his fallen dishes and made a cursory attempt at containing the spill before slinking away to the Archives with his tail between his legs.

“See, I told you he was distracting.” Melanie commented to Tim after Jonathan’s little accident.

“Yeah,” Tim agreed. “Is it wrong to say that his ass looks pretty good in those jeans? Not the best I’ve ever seen but… Not. Bad. At all.”

Martin choked on his tea while Melanie laughed loud enough to draw the attention of half the canteen.

\--

Jon shucked off his sodden sweater vest as soon as he crossed the threshold to his office and began working open the buttons. Sighing, he saw the soup had managed to soak all the way through to his undershirt.  There should be a change of clothes in a cabinet for when he stayed late and ended up sleeping at the Institute.

He cursed when he found the shelf empty. Eyes drifting to the gift bag still sitting on the edge of his desk, he cursed again.

_So much for dignity._

“Sometimes I don’t know why I bother.” Jon sighed, digging the soft cotton t-shirt from the bag.

\--

“You look comfy.” Basira commented from her blanket nest, startling Jon.

“Ah! B- Basira, I didn’t see you there. Um...” Jon looked down at himself and winced. “I had a little accident with my lunch and _someone_ stole the change of clothes I keep in my office.”

She turned the page in the book she was reading, _Modern Usage of Ancient Symbols._ “Mmm, at least they left you something to wear.”

“Indeed.” Jon forced out through gritted teeth. He took a deep breath and tried to let go of his frustration with the situation. “So, what are you doing down there?”

“Reading.”

“Yes, I can see that. Why are you on the floor?”

“The chairs you have down here are terrible. Casual Friday gave me the idea build myself a little reading nook. You don’t mind do you?”

“No, I suppose not. Carry on, I guess.”

Jon had taken two steps before Basira stopped him. “I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.”

“Go where?” Jon asked, confused.

“The supply closet, I’d give it at least another ten minutes. If not longer.” She hadn’t even looked up from her book.

“I don’t--? I just need to grab some fresh tapes, I’ll only be a moment.”

“Suit yourself.”

Jon shook his head as he made his way to the closet door. Opening it, he was almost knocked over as Tim and Melanie spilled out. Clothes and hair askew, lipstick smeared on both of their faces.

Tim coughed politely and proceeded to smooth his hair back into place and straighten his tie. He nodded curtly, “Jon.”

“Tim.” Jon nodded back, flatly refusing to acknowledge the scene in front of him. “Would you be so kind as to hand me a fresh pack of tapes?”

“Sure thing, boss.” He cracked a winning smile that somehow seemed even more charismatic with the smeared lipstick.  

Melanie was blushing furiously as she scrambled to collect herself. She looked away from Jon’s face only to notice his clothes.

“Hang on! Are those Ghost Hunt UK sweatpants? Where did you even get those? We haven’t made them in over a year!

Now it was Jon’s turn to go red. “I- I… They’re not mine!”

“So you mean to tell me that you just happened across someone else’s trousers?”

“No, no-- that’s not it! Someone left them for me in my office this morning.” He swung an accusing gaze to rest firmly on the man currently adjusting his shirt cuffs. “ _Tim._ ”

“I don’t know what you’re going on about.” He handed over a packet of cassette tapes to Jon.

Jon narrowed his eyes. “So you mean to tell me that it wasn’t you who stole my clothes and left me a gift bag with,” he gestured to his outfit, “these?”

“That is exactly what I am saying.”

“If it wasn’t you then who…?” Jon’s eyes widened in realization. “ _Elias.”_ he hissed.

The two of them practically collapsed into helpless giggles as Jon stalked away.

\--

Martin read the email with growing sadness. Casual Friday at the Magnus Institute would not be a regular event after all. Oh well, maybe he’ll wear his spider shirt to work sometime anyway. As Tim says with more and more frequency, “What are they going to do, fire me?” He resolves to wear it to work the next day.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man
> 
> And yes, those were Elias's lounge pants Jon was wearing.


End file.
